


Before

by Melimea



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Bad Pick-Up Lines, Dirty Talk, F/M, Idiots in Love, One Shot, Porn with Feelings, Rough Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-09
Updated: 2018-03-09
Packaged: 2019-03-29 00:50:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13915851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melimea/pseuds/Melimea
Summary: It was always a sensitive subject, the before. Before the bombs. Before the mutants and the radiation. Before she woke up without a family. Before she had to learn to bury it all deep.





	Before

**Author's Note:**

> Kinda cute, kinda sappy. My favorite pairing in Fallout 4 by far! You can't romance him without falling in a little yourself.

Before.

 

It was a hard concept to explain to others. Maybe because of the time jump, people were less likely to be attached the way she had been. She hadn’t been given a chance to grieve properly. She had woken up, witnessed a murder and then slept again, albeit involuntarily. Then she had been woken again and remembered a kidnapping. Of course, she had some difficulty after that. She had clung to Shaun and the idea of saving him and so she didn’t give herself a chance to mourn her husband. Poor Nate had been her everything, before.

 

It was always a sensitive subject, the before. Before the bombs. Before the mutants and the radiation. Before she woke up without a family. Before she had to learn to bury it all deep.

 

She had been a lawyer before. She had just gotten her license and had started working at a local firm. She had been making friends. She had started talking to other moms about daycare. Before.

 

Her husband had been on leave with her for maternity, he would have been home with her for a month before he needed to return. What would it have been like if he had been away? Would he have lived? She saw plenty of pre-war ghouls so it wasn’t impossible. He would have been a world away though.

 

You can’t predict the future though. You can’t see what could have been, you can only imagine and live with the now. What could have been wasn’t something they talked about.

 

They didn’t know how awful it truly was; the Commonwealth it was nothing like before. No one understood.

 

Not what it was like before.

 

-

-

-

 

Nora hated how her hair felt now. No longer did she have soft hair that she could run her hands through. It was knotted when she ran her hands through it, and when she would wake in the morning the static was out of control.  She had almost shaved her head after her first month above ground. Furious with the world she had taken to putting her hair in a bun to keep the damage under control.

 

She was sitting in an empty warehouse as her current companion, Robert Joseph MacCready, rummaged through some boxes. He had tossed aside things he deemed _trash and junk_ and Nora knew she would be lugging it herself once he was finished. He had a small stack of useful materials, according to him, at his feet. Ammo, stimpaks and the like. While useful, Nora was looking for screws and adhesive for her settlements.

 

MacCready didn’t like helping her with the settlements. He complained every time she asked for his help, though he still helped, but he was a firm believer in looking out for oneself. This community idea that she believed in was something foreign to him.

 

Which Nora found odd, since he came from a community of children who helped each other out.

 

She had been sitting on a counter, digging at her nails and sneering at the grime she pulled out, when she heard him exclaim. Looking up she noticed him cradle something to his chest before quickly stuffing it into his pack. “Mac?” She watched him duck his head and look her way with an expression similar to Dogmeat when he was caught going through the trash.

 

“Don’t worry about it,” he muttered as he pulled another box his way and moved over. Nora raised a blond eyebrow and shrugged. If he found something he wanted then he could keep it, that was part of their original deal.

 

A deal he had backed out of six months ago. Nora remembered the way he had basically shoved the caps into her lap while they sat at a bar in one of her settlements. He mumbled nervously at first before powering through and telling her he would still stick around.

 

Then he told her about Duncan and Lucy and it had shifted their dynamic considerably. He was still the snarky asshole who could shoot a fly from almost any point, but his personality made sense. He had become nicer, to the point of not vocalizing his discontent at her when she decided to help someone for free. Which for MacCready was a big deal.

 

He even started flirting with her. Which he was awful at. It made Nora laugh, though she tried to not do that to his face, every time he attempted to. It was mostly jokes that had a slight sexual undertone to them, with winks and lingering glances. Nora hadn’t told him no, but she hadn’t responded outright either.

She wasn’t completely over her husband to be honest. He had died, to her, only two years ago. Sure, in reality it had been well over that time, but for her mentally it hadn’t been long enough to not still be affected. She would still visit his grave, that she dug herself, and talk with him about things happening. About their son and how he was doing. About the world and how much had changed. About the affections she was getting from another man.

 

Nora hadn’t visited in a few weeks and she was already antsy to return. That was something her and MacCready did see eye to eye on. He wasn’t over the loss of his wife either, even when he said otherwise. Nora knew the signs because she exhibited them as well. The distant eyes, the mumbling at night, the way he got quiet when they saw happy couples. You didn’t just move on because they weren’t their anymore. Neither of them had a choice in losing their spouses. Neither of them would have given them up for anything.

 

They both clung heavily to their children. The last anchor to the person they saw as their world. Duncan and Shaun, luckily, got along well and had taken to each other the way Nora and MacCready had. Skeptical at first followed by a smooth friendship.

 

Kicking her feet out from under her Nora leaned over the edge to look at the pile of junk. “I’m thinking of getting a Brahmin for when we do this. I hate carrying all this stuff around. We always get swarmed before we get to the settlements.” Nora rubbed her ribs and hissed at how tender they still felt. A group of raiders had ambushed them on their way to The Castle a few days before and she still felt the sting from the butt of a gun. It had been a closer call then she was comfortable with.

 

MacCready had been pretty furious with himself after that and was now carrying more then he did before to help out. “Not a bad idea, but they draw attention all on their own. Even if we didn’t pack it full of this _stuff_ ,” Nora laughed aloud, “we would have attention drawn to us with its _freakin’_ noises. They stink too,” he rolled his eyes as she continued to laugh.

 

Duncan had quickly put to rest MacCready’s desire to not swear, by being a vulgar kid. MacCready was feeling the karma on that one. Still, he tried to keep it in but words had been slipping out more often than they used to.

 

“Could save us the trouble though. I could probably load it with more then we can carry on our own, save us both the physical pain.” MacCready shrugged his shoulders, indifferent.

 

“Do what you want. You lead, I’ll follow.”

 

Nora bit her lip and slid of the counter and approached the pile he had left her. A few fans, _good_ , and a few rolls of duct tape, _great_. She was already making plans in her mind as she heard another box slide her way. The warehouse wasn’t far from Sanctuary and after clearing it out for the tenth time since she had awoken she had decided to actually open the containers and see just what it was hiding.

 

“Smell that?” MacCready’s head shot up and he looked around. “Rancid, like a feral.” Nora had to admit, while he was a baby when it came to water and smells, it came in handy sometimes. “Be right back,” he muttered as he pulled out his rifle and wondered off.

 

Since he opened up to her about Lucy his desire to take out feral’s made more sense. Even before Duncan came back it was one of the few times she heard him yell with no filter. He had no problem breaking his vow of no vulgarity when he killed them.

 

If her husband had died that way she would probably be the same way. She still remembered sobbing when she killed Kellogg, snot and tears and lots of yelling. Thank God there was only one of him.

 

Keeping quiet she sifted through the box he had abandoned and counted out a handful of caps. It was odd finding them all over the place. Even when she found pre-war buildings and untouched boxes, a stash of caps wasn’t far off. Putting them in her cap bag, a small piece of leather she had used with a tie around it, she shuffled through the rest of the box and pushed it away. She was ready to go home now. See Shaun. Take a bath.

 

Listening to the silence she tried to pinpoint where MacCready had gone to but she couldn’t pick anything up. He was rather good and sneaking, which she supposed was good for a sniper. The first time she used that term to describe him he had looked confused.

 

It was always weird how some terms didn’t carry over. She still remembered when she told Preston she needed to use a john and he had been, understandably, worried.

 

He had brought her a man named Jake and told her that it was her own business, assuming she needed to have a little stress relief.

 

She had been mortified.

 

That didn’t mean she didn’t us him though.

 

Standing up Nora raised her arms above her head and stretched her back. Being careful to not stretch to much on her right side, the bruised side, she sighed content.

 

This wasn’t the life she wanted but she wasn’t unhappy.

 

Pulling her rucksack over she put a few fans and all the duct tape in it. Slinging it over her shoulder she pulled out her 10mm and scanned the area. Crouching down, with a hiss at the sting from her side, she scanned the corner before leaving the room. Wherever MacCready had gone he was silent. Sniffing the air Nora couldn’t pick up whatever it was he had and hoped he was just being overprotective again.

 

Many a time he had thought he heard or saw or _smelled_ something and it had been nothing.

 

It stank everywhere, something that no one agreed with her about except MacCready. While she at least knew what a good smell _was_ he was just a complainer.

 

Walking out into the main yard she made her way to the fence and dropped her bag as she looked around. “Mac?” she whispered as she looked around. “Mac?” She squatted down to see if she could see his feet anywhere by the truck’s but he wasn’t there either. Putting both hands on the pistol she lifted it up, eye level, and did a quick sweep of the area. Lowering it slightly she took a few hesitant steps and whistled, trying to draw something out.

 

When nothing happened she did it again, hoping maybe MacCready would return the call. When he didn’t she holstered her gun on her hip and crossed her arms. “Mac!” She raised her voice to ensure he would hear her. “I’m going back,” she turned and grabbed her bag.

 

Suddenly, as though she had just announced her presence, a Glowing One rounded the corner at a speed only feral’s possessed and tackled her to the ground roughly. The two slid against the mud, sinking as they went.

 

Nora quickly shuffled with it. Its gnashing teeth, or what were once teeth, snapped open and closed at her arm and a drip of green radiation fell onto her chest. With a yell she kicked it off of herself and pulled her pistol free. A few shots to the torso sent it back a few feet giving her the chance to rise. Leveling her weapon, she took a shot at its head and cursed as it missed. The feral quickly rolled up, stumbling, and barreled towards her as she reloaded.

 

A loud shot rang out piercing its head, a chunk sliding off, causing the feral to shot forwards past Nora and hit the ground with a hard smack.

 

Rubbing her chest, as the pain of radiation took effect, Nora took a deep breath and looked around for MacCready. He was sliding off the roof, not bothering to go back inside and climb the stairs. Rushing over to her he bent at the knees and looked at the damage. “You okay,” he leaned forward and straightened up inspecting her. “I’m so sorry, I was trying to line the shot and it just rushed you,” he was digging in his bag for something, probably a stimpak, but Nora waved him off.

 

“We are close to home, lefts just hurry. I’m already feeling tired and woozy.” She swallowed and put her gun away as she moved towards her bag.

 

“I got it,” he lifted the bag onto his free shoulder and pushed her forward. “Come on,” he stayed a step behind as he pushed her onwards. She felt a sharp pain as he disregarded her statement and pushed a stimpak into her arm. “Don’t fight me,” he mumbled as he put the used needle into the bag. “I didn’t mean to take that long,” his hand moved towards her side as she tripped on a limb. “It kept ducking out of the way so by the time it got to you I couldn’t line it up well without hitting you.”

 

“So, you took the chance once I shot it?”

 

“Better then letting it take you.” His eyebrows were furrowed together and he sneered. “Damned ferals.”

 

“Hmm.” Nora rubbed her arm, looking at the red welt that was rising where the feral had gnawed on her. “ _Fuck_ ,” she hissed in pain.

 

“Maybe we should stay in town a little longer then planned? You still need to heal that rib.” They came up to the road and he helped her climb the railing. Nora hated feeling helpless.

 

She still liked the attention though.

 

“Maybe,” she licked her lips and gestured to the water he had already taken from the bag. Stimpaks always made her so incredibly thirsty. As they walked nostalgia suddenly hit her causing her eyes to tear up. “Once, when I visited Nate for basic, a stray bullet hit my side. Luckily, they were pellets but it still hurt. Hit me right where my kidney was. He had to carry me to the medic’s center because I was crying like a baby.” She smiled sadly.

 

MacCready didn’t say anything but kept his eyes on the road ahead, scanning. They were close to home so they didn’t have much danger to worry about.

 

“I learned rather quickly that Stimpaks make me sick. I still can’t take to many in one sitting. Time is the best medicine for me. Do you remember that behemoth near the commons? I had three after that fight and threw up as soon as the high wore off.” MacCready slid his eyes over to her and she realized his hand was still on her side. “I did Jet _one time_ with Hancock and was hungover for a week. Remember? You had to drag me out of the hotel to go see a doctor.” Nora rubbed her eyes as they began to sting. “Sorry, didn’t mean to get all sentimental.” His hand on her side slid upwards, comforting she realized.

 

“Once, when Lucy was still pregnant,” he swallowed and she could hear the emotion in his voice, “she had to have a radaway, a lot actually, because she kept getting radiation sickness from the storms. Did you know you can get addicted to it? She was six months pregnant and got addicted to them. The doctor said she needed to keep up with it until after she had the baby so that the withdrawals didn’t kill either of them.” Nora leaned into his side as they walked, her way of comforting. “After Duncan was born he was yellow. The doctors said it was an old disease, something that only time could cure.”

 

_Jaundice._ Nora quickly filed that away to talk about later.

 

“Luckily they both came out of it okay. He cleared up after a few weeks but I’ve always been really careful about giving him anything.”

 

The two walked in silence the rest of the way. As they approached the Red Rocket station Dogmeat bounded out to them, his tongue hanging out and a playful bark sounding. “Hey boy,” Nora smiled fondly as he sat at her feet, shuffling his paws excitedly.

 

MacCready released her and bent down to pet Dogmeat under the chin. “Want me to go on ahead? I can drop the bags off. Or do you want to go through some of it here?”

 

Nora looked around the station and could see that someone, Sturges, had been here recently and had moved stuff around. “Let’s take it to Sanctuary and let them have dibs. I desperately want a bath anyway.” MacCready nodded and headed towards the bridge, being sure to be slow enough for Nora to keep up.

 

“I’m not broken,” she eventual laughed, trying to return things to normal.

 

“I feel guilty,” he said as he took of his hat and ran a hand through his hair. “I should have taken it out earlier and not wasted my time trying to only take one shot. Could have saved you some pain.” Nora reached out and rested her hand on his arm. She heard the intake of breath and removed it hesitantly.

 

“No one blames you Mac,” she smiled sadly as the crossed the bridge. “I’ll be okay, it was my fault for yelling.”

 

He rubbed his neck and she saw a splash of red on his face. Anger or embarrassment?

 

“You know I have no prior training,” she waved to a passing settler as the walked past the first house. “I woke up to this world with the knowledge of law, something no one uses really, and had to learn how to fight. I don’t always have the common-sense people need. If it wasn’t for you guys I would have died rather early on.”

 

_I could have joined Nate, and eventually Shaun would too, earlier._

 

They stopped at the main workbench and MacCready dropped both bags down and sighed heavily as he rotated his shoulders. “Glad you didn’t,” he winked and Nora laughed at how awkward he was. “I’ll get check on the kids. Go do what you need to do.” He nodded at her and headed towards the house Jun used as a school. Sanctuary had become the settlement for orphans, as Travis liked to advertise, after Nora brought Shaun home with her. So now children showed up and could get a decent education instead of hiding in houses and hoping super mutants didn’t kill them.

 

Shaun and Duncan both attended classes, though not what Nora considered as educational classes, daily. They knew what to avoid in the wild, but they couldn’t multiply easily. They knew the signs to look for before a storm came, but not how to write in cursive. Different times meant different needs.

 

Nora leaned on the wall of the house and counted to ten. She needed to find the doctor. Everything hurt and she could feel blood on her arm. Somehow this had escaped MacCready’s notice or he would have rushed her over.

As she approached the small shack she smiled at the female ghoul who ran it. The woman had on a clean blue shirt and dark pants, stained at the bottom from mud, and a clipboard in her lap with a piece of paper on it. “Hey Maybell.” Nora sniffed and leaned on the counter. “I think I need some fixing up.”

 

-

-

-

 

It took a few hours for the meds to wear off and for Nora to feel like herself again. She had taken a seat in Maybell’s clinic and had rested quietly while chatting with the woman. The sun had gone down not too long ago, according to her pipboy it had been two hours. She found herself wondering why Shaun hadn’t tried to find her. Usually he rushed over after school and would chat for some time about what he had learned. Nora had been gone for a few days so she was expecting him to be very excited.

 

As she walked along the road she passed the community house and looked into the window to see if Shaun was inside. She could here Mama talking, sagely, with a few settlers and children talking about the great war. Nora rolled her eyes and briefly wondered who gave the woman some jet. As she moved a few houses down she poked her head into her home and found Shaun sitting at the bar with Duncan, the two of them going through a stack of comics.

 

The lights flickered briefly as the generator outside made a stuttering sound and Nora wondered what had been turned out that caused it. Shaun looked up as she walked in and smiled brightly, reminding her why she was still alive. “Shaun,” she greeted as he rushed to her and hugged her midsection. He had been home with her for a month, but it felt like days. She hated every moment away from him, but also that she hadn’t gotten to raise him to this point either. He was a shadow of who he should be. In her mind, at least.

 

She ran her hand through his dark hair, and commented about the length. “We need a trim soon, maybe ask Sturges after school tomorrow to cut it back?”

 

With a huff Shaun waved his hand at hers. “Fine,” he rolled his eyes and walked over to Duncan. “Can I stay with Mac and Duncan tonight?” He picked up the stack of comics and helped Duncan put them in his bag. “Please? We will do extra chores and homework.” The two boys turned their young faces to her and Nora instantly caved.

 

“If Mac is okay with it. Where is he?” She turned to go back outside just as MacCready walked into the house and smiled at her as he approached Duncan and Shaun.

 

“Ready to go bud? You coming as well, Shaun?” He looked up at Nora and scanned her arms. “Lookin’ better. Did the doc fix you up?” Duncan walked past him, Shaun following closely behind. “Eat first!” He shouted after them as they walked through the front.

 

“Bye Nora!”

 

“Bye Mom!”

 

The boys walked out leaving the two alone. Nora always got a strange flutter in her stomach when she watched MacCready with Duncan. He was a different person, nicer. Better. What she hoped Nate would have been like. He was viciously protective, especially since he almost lost him, and involved. Things she wasn’t used to seeing him be.

 

It was a more intense flutter when he interacted with Shaun.

 

“You okay?” He took a few steps closer, his hands stuffed in his pockets. He had taken off his usual outfit and was in casual pants and a dark shirt. Nora hated how it made breathing a little more difficult when he got this close.

 

“Maybell fixed me up, had to get a patch on my arm but I should be good to go.” She smiled up at him and displayed her arm. She hadn’t expected him to reach out and touch her arm and so she couldn’t stop the gasp at the contact. He was hesitant, his eyes flickering up to her, momentarily before he ran his hand up and down her arm. Nora felt a flush spread on her face and hated her pale complexion for giving her away. His hand didn’t stop at her arm and had moved up to her elbow where it rested heavily.

 

“I am sorry,” he muttered, not looking at her but at her arm. It was still tender and she hadn’t taken as many stimpaks as Maybell had wanted her too. “I hate that I caused this.”

 

“Mac,” Nora put her hand on his face to make him look at her. “It doesn’t matter if you were with me or not. I’ve been attacked plenty. I’ve gotten myself in a ton of trouble since I woke up and just because you are at my back doesn’t mean I won’t still find it.”

 

“Doesn’t stop me from wanting to try.” He had one side of lips tilted up, an almost smirk. “You know you’re important to me.” He ran his hand up to her shoulder then to the side of her neck. “You _do_ know, right?”

 

Nora bit her lip and felt the slight pressure he applied to her neck. While this wasn’t unwanted it was unexpected. The front door was still wide open, and it wasn’t so late that people wouldn’t stop in to see her. Still, when his lips brushed against hers she didn’t push him away.

 

It was light, she almost couldn’t feel it, as his lips ghosted against hers. His thumb was rubbing up and down her neck, tickling the hair that had fallen from the bun, causing a shiver to run up her spine. When he pulled away it took her a moment to open her eyes. His were half lidded, and a goofy smile was on his face.

 

It wasn’t their first kiss, she had to remind herself. Six months ago, when he gave her the caps back, he had also drunkenly kissed her as well. They both had sobered up considerably, and they had walked around the incident as if it never happened.

 

Her hand fell to rest against his chest and she let out a slow breath. “You know the same, right?”

 

“Hmm?” He still had that smile and was looking at her lips again.

 

“That _you_ are important to _me_ as well.” She smiled and pulled her hand away. He reached out and took it before leaning in again and kissing her with more force. Nora let out a startled gasp and he took advantage and angled his face against hers. The scruff on his chin scratched against her cheek and his hands where both buried in her hair, pulling it out of the bun. Nora felt the pressure behind it now, he was even standing closer his chest against hers.

 

His tongue ran along her lip before he bit down slightly and pulled it between his own. Nora rested her hands against him again, one on his arm the other on the side of his face. It was a slow draw, him moving his lips against hers and her responding in kind.

 

She had expected it to happen sooner, honestly. All the looks, the light touching. She kept finding his hands on her at random points, and she never noticed it till he took them away. He had admitted to feelings for her, albeit he never followed through with anything.

 

They had spoken for some time about their spouses, about how hard it was to forget. Then he had kissed her forehead and they stopped talking and moved on.

 

He apparently was ready to take some steps now.

 

Nora felt him pull back and was going to comment but stopped as his lips latched onto her neck and he bit gently. Her hands slid up into his hair and she pulled back on it to make him look at her. “Hey,” she licked her lips and shuttered at the way his eyes darted to follow the action. “You sure about this?”

 

He let out a low groan and his hands moved to her hips as he rolled against her, ensuring she could feel the bulge in his pants. Evidently yes, he was very sure. Nora had to put a little pressure on his chest to get him to back away, though his hands stayed planted on her hips.

 

“Are you sure?” He blinked at her, as if he couldn’t follow. “I desperately need a bath.” She laughed at the way his face scrunched up.

 

“You smell fine,” he complained.

 

“That is a lie, and I feel nasty. I _did_ have a Glowing One drain on me earlier.” She made a face and laughed as his eyes landed on her chest, the area that had affected. The dark shirt had a hole in it from the impact and it was filthy. She laughed aloud at the way his knees bent and he groaned.

 

“I would be fine if you fell in the _fucking_ sewer at this point.” Nora tossed her head back and let out a loud bark of a laugh. That was a big deal from MacCready, the guy who complained about the smell of Brahmin in general, to be okay with her smelling the way she did and still want to engage sexually.

 

He responded with a muttered few words before he grabbed the back of her head and slammed his mouth into hers. Nora’s eyes quickly slid shut and she returned the action, placing her hands on his shoulders. When he pulled back this time he completely stepped away and moved to close her front door.

 

Nora rubbed at her mouth and closed the side door, the kids always liked to leave them wide open. Chancing a glance out her window she was satisfied when no one was nearby. Flipping the switch for the lights and lamps she grabbed his hand and pulled him back to her old bedroom. He followed along like a kid, which reminded her just how much younger he was then her. Not much, but enough that even after being asleep as long as she had, she still probably had more experience then him.

 

“Where you with anyone other than Lucy?” She found herself asking before he closed in on her again. She watched as he stiffened rather abruptly but his hand still rested on the bend of her arm.

 

“I, well, no not really.” His adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “Is that important right now?”

 

“I guess not,” she smiled as she stood on her toes to kiss his forehead. “Nate wasn’t my only. Or my first.”

 

“Oh,” he rubbed the back of his head and Nora realized she probably embarrassed him. She walked away and pulled the rugs, that she used as curtains, closed over the windows to offer some privacy. While anyone would be able to walk by and hear them, she still wanted them to not _see_. “It was harder, you know. You grew up before the bombs…you didn’t have the constant pressure of surviving.”

 

“You’re right,” she slid onto the bed and grabbed his shirt and pulled him to the edge. His knees hit the edge and he did that awkward half smile again. “I had plenty of time to lay about and do basically nothing.” She looked away and quickly rubbed her face. “Shouldn’t have brought this up,” she muttered.

 

MacCready quickly bent down and took her face in his hands. “You don’t talk about it a lot, the, uh, before time.”

 

“I don’t,” she confirmed. “It’s difficult to talk about.” She swallowed down a lump in her throat. “Did I kill the mood?” She felt his thumb rub against her cheek as he leaned in and rested his forehead against her own.

 

“Kinda,” he replied honestly. “Doubt it’ll stop me though. This is the first time in a month that we have been alone. Or safe for that matter. Not going to let a little thing like emotions get in my way.” Nora chuckled and looked back at him. “Atta girl,” he leaned in and kissed her lips gently. “Speaking of emotions though,” he looked away for a moment to collect his courage, “I do really care about you. I just, hate when I think you are going off on your own again, without me. I fought Piper the other week to make sure she didn’t feel up to going with you when we were in Diamond City.” Nora felt a tug at her lips and let him continue. “Same with Cait. That was a tough one though, she told me _fuck her and get it over with_. Kinda awkward when we were in the middle of the road out here.” Nora leaned forward and caught his mouth in her own again. Her hands moved to his collar and she pulled him till his knees rested on the bed.

 

“So, do it,” she said as she pulled back. He was always so awkward. So unsure.

 

She was tired of the conversations about affection without the actual physical affection.

 

She really just wanted a good fuck, and it was a bonus if it was from him.

 

He visibly gulped and Nora leaned back. “Do I scare you? I’m not going to reject you,” she wanted to reassure him. Her comments earlier probably didn’t help.

 

“Have you ever built something up in your mind then when the time comes,” he leaned back, “worried that you won’t be satisfactory.”

 

“ _Seriously_ ,” she leaned back with a sigh. “We can try as many times as you want Mac, I pro-“

 

He held up a hand and looked at her seriously. “If we do this don’t call me Mac. Robert or RJ.”

 

“Oh,” she licked her lips and tried one out. “Ok, RJ.”

 

Holding up two fingers he continued. “Two, I don’t do casual. If you are in this you are _in this._ I have a kid, so do you, and complicated does not work for us.” Nora nodded. “Three, to confirm, I have only ever been with Lucy, its always been rushed and on the run so,” he sighed awkwardly, “help a guy out.” He lowered his hand and waited.

 

“Ok, I agree. Call me Nora, as you always do, I don’t _want_ casual so we agree there too. I will defiantly help a guy out.” She smiled fondly at that statement. “Can we do this?”

 

MacCready took a deep breath before quickly closing the distance again, his lips brushing hers. Nora grabbed a fistful of his short hair and pulled him in closer, his arms reaching out and bracing on the bed next to her to keep his balance. She ran her hand through his hair before tugging at it again, though not tough enough to break the kiss. He muttered against her lips but she didn’t take the time to understand it. His hands quickly found a place with one on her hips and the other pulling her hair out of the tie the rest of the way. It was long, to her waist, and he fisted it in his hand and pushed her against him roughly. He pulled back, hissing a _fuck_ against her neck, and ran his lips along her collarbone. His hand on her hip pushed her shirt up and she whimpered at the pressure that ran along her bruised side.

 

He pulled back and mumbled an apology on her lips before returning to her neck and sucking gently right below her ear. “You’re so soft,” he whispered in her ear before biting on her earlobe. His hand was below her bare breasts and he slowly ran his hand up along the side and cupped one. “So, _fucking_ soft,” he rubbed a thumb over her nipple and smiled against her neck as they hardened and she gasped.

 

Nora had her head tilted to the side, allowing him unlimited access, and was pulling at his shirt to lift it over his head in return. He pulled back and quickly yanked it off, tossing it to the floor behind himself, and returned his attention to her. His hand from her hair moved to push her shirt up and nudge her down so they were no longer sitting up. As her back hit the blanket he pushed her shirt up to right above her breasts and bent his head down to kiss between them. His mouth found her nipple and he ran his tongue over it causing her to arch up slightly and breath out a sigh.

 

His free hand moved to her jeans and he pulled the top button out of its hole and slid his hand into her underwear. Nora reached out and rested her hand against his wrist as he pushed against her mound. He let out a moan as he felt her wetness through her underwear. “RJ,” she sighed out as he fingers pulled her underwear to the side and dipped into her cunt. He pulled away from her breast and looked down where his hand was, gently dipping into her. She bit her lip at the wet sound they both could hear and turned red at the way his mouth opens slightly as he watched. When he pulled his hand away, which caused her to whimper in protest, he pushed her jeans down her hips and looked back up at her waiting for her to respond. “Oh,” she muttered as she lifted her hips up off the bed and slid her jeans down her legs. She kicked them off the end of the bed and sat up to pull her shirt up over her head as well.

 

MacCready already had taken off the rest of his clothing and was leaning down beside her when she was finished undressing. “You’re beautiful, you know that right?” He slid a hand along her hip and rested it between her shoulder blades to push her against him. “God,” he moaned, “and so soft.” He leaned back and smiled as she crawled into his lap. Nora smiled in return as she rocked herself against his manhood and he bent his head backwards into the pillow with a loud moan. Nora let out a breathy sign as his hands moved to her hips and pushed her down harder against himself. “I have been fantasizing about this for _months_.”

 

“Mm,” she replied as her hands moved to his chest. She felt his manhood slide against her folds and she shuttered as it hit against the bundle of nerves. “Me too.”

 

“Almost bent you over a crate a few weeks back near Diamond City,” he thrust up against her and bit his lip at how wet she felt against him. “When you,” he moaned when she roughly rubbed against him, her hair falling over her shoulder and brushing his chest, “got a rip in your old pants. You had to rip them near the crotch and,” she leaned back and her breast bounced as she rotated her hips, “when you bent over I could see your cunt.”

 

Nora had her head tossed back now, her throat exposed to him, causing him to sit up, a hand still on her hip and another on the back of her head, and kiss it. When he pulled back her lips were parted and he pulled her forehead to his own as they rubbed against one another. After a few more thrusts he stilled her hips and pushed himself against her entrance. Nora hissed in pleasure as she sank down against him. “ _Fuck,_ ” he breathed out and Nora felt her heart race faster. “ _Goddamn,”_ he mumbled next to her ear as she wrapped around him completely. “ _Fucking hell,_ ” he muttered as she sat fully against him. Nora felt her confidence build as he continued to swear.

 

“You really know how to sweettalk a girl,” she muttered before he thrust up into her roughly. He didn’t reply other then pushing up into her again. Nora wrapped her arms around his neck, one digging into his hair while the other gripped at the wall behind him. “Hmmm,” she moaned out as he turned her over and pushed her into the mattress. Grasping the pillow behind her with one hand the other gripped his forearm as he sat back and thrust roughly into her. Nora felt her whole-body jolt with each thrust, her moans growing in volume as he leaned back and pushed her legs up so her knees were bent. A hand of his rested on her inside thigh, holding it in place, and his lips brushed her knee before he sat back to angle his hips.

 

“ _Fuck,_ ” he spat as she felt her orgasm hit. He had to still his body as she arched off the bed, a low moan slipping out of her mouth.

 

As she came down from her high she felt his eyes on her. As she looked up at him she was floored by the expression on his face, his eyes dark but wide. “Mac?”

 

The expression cleared and she watched his eyebrows furrowed. “Don’t say that,” he muttered as he snapped his hips forward causing her to gasp at the sensation. “That’s what everyone calls me, you aren’t everyone.” He ran his hand up and down her leg and smiled at the way she shivered. “I don’t _fuck_ anyone else like this,” he snapped his hips forward. “Don’t make other people moan like this,” he watched her arch against the bed again as she moved against him.

 

Nora reached forward and grabbed his head, forcing him down to kiss her again. “Say my name,” she muttered when she pulled back. He smiled as he ghosted his lips over her ear.

 

“ _Nora,”_ he whispered in time with his thrust. ” _Nora,_ ” he said again with the next. She closed her eyes and slid a leg around his hip, digging into his ass to add more force into his thrust. “ _Fuck, Nora._ ”

 

“RJ,” she dug a hand in his hair to hold him close to her as she felt it building again. “Will you come soon?” She bit her lip, it had to be swollen by now with how hard she was biting it.

 

MacCready groaned as his thrust sped up, his hand not on her leg grabbed the side of her neck to push her lips back to his own. Nora moaned against his lips and felt a small falter in his hips as he slowed and his thrust became deeper and rougher. “Can I?” He muttered as she pulled back. “Where?” He breathed out.

 

“Anywhere,” she sighed as a realization hit her. She didn’t care if he finished inside her. She was beyond willing to have any children for him, though she doubted now was the time to mention this. A string of _fuck’s_ escaped his lips as he leaned back and pounded into her, probably following her thoughts. Nora felt the force behind it and pushed one hand against the wall to stop him from pushing her head into it.

 

He came with a shout, his hands digging into her hips as he pushed into her roughly, his orgasm causing him to bend over above her. Nora lay below him, watching his face scrunch up, a bead of sweat on his temple sliding down to his chin.

 

She lifted a hand and wiped it away, before rubbing a thumb over his lips. “I love you,” she muttered as he collected his breath. His eyes snapped open, his mouth opening slightly as his breath escaped him. “You don’t need to say it back, but, I figured now would be a decent time to say it. After, well, after that.”

 

“Nora,” he closed his eyes, his face looking pained. Nora smiled gently up at him, a blissful feeling washing over her.

 

“I love you RJ, and I don’t care if you feel it too or not. I wouldn’t trade all this time for anything. Well,” a sad smile graced her face, “almost anything.” MacCready blinked down at her, his mind and mouth not keeping up after what had just happened.

 

Leaning forward she pushed at him until he slid away from her and put her legs over the edge of the bed. “Someone should probably go check on the kids. You can rest up, I won’t be gone long.” She slid her pants on and grabbed a shirt, his she realized, before rushing out the door leaving him alone on the bed.

 

She quickly pulled her hair back, though upon checking the mirror on her way out she put it back down at the red marks on her neck. Halfway down the street she realized she had no socks or shoes but she couldn’t look back now.

 

She had told him she loved him, right after sex, while he obviously wouldn’t be able to separate the two actions. As she approached the community center she could hear laughter from within and when she looked in she didn’t see the kids. Quickly rushing away, before anyone caught her in this state and inquired, she rushed over to the house MacCready typically used and found the kids sitting on the couch watching an old Vid.

 

“Mum!” Shaun smiled at his mom. “Came to say goodnight?”

 

“Of course,” she smiled as she looked at the two kids. “Don’t sleep to late tomorrow, go to class.”

 

“It’s Friday Ms. Nora,” Duncan said with a smile. “Have you seen my dad?” He had a funny look like he knew exactly where his father was but had the decency to not say.

 

“I’m sure he will be home soon. Maybe he grabbed some food.” Nora sighed and looked towards the tv. “You two be good okay, turn off the lights before bed. Love you,” she kissed Shaun on the head and walked out, closing the door behind herself.

 

Standing in the street she looked up at the sky and counted to ten.

 

Was she an idiot? He _finally_ makes a move and she ruins it with _feelings._

 

“Nora,” she jumped as MacCready rushed up to her, shirtless since her shirt didn’t fit him and also without shoes. “Nora,” he sighed as he came up to her. He ran a hand through his messy hair and huffed. “Nora I-“

 

“No, no.” She held up a hand over his mouth, covering it so he couldn’t speak. “I shouldn’t have done that to you. I understand if you want some distance I-“ He pulled her hand away and interrupted her.

 

“Fuck _no._ How many times _today_ did I mention you meant something to me? We’ve talked so much about Nate and Lucy that I didn’t think I would be able to say the word love to you without you running.” He grabbed her face forcing her to look at him as he stepped closer. “I _love_ you. I fucking love you. So much. Nora,” he bent his head to her level, looking into her big blue eyes, “I love you.” He leaned forward catching her lips in his and kissing her deeply. Nora responded immediately, sighing as he ran his tongue in her mouth and opening her mouth wider as he deepened the kiss. When he pulled back they both had small smiled on their faces and couldn’t quiet look at one another.

 

“Really?”

 

Tossing his head back to laugh MacCready pulled her along to his home. Waving at the boys he winked at Duncan who gave his dad a thumb up. Nora blushed at that and was mortified when Shaun asked Duncan what that meant and the child _told him_ that his dad got _lucky_ with his mom. When they came up to what was once a bathroom she smiled at the tub MacCready had obviously salvaged from a feeding Brahmin and scrubbed clean. “Look in the box by the tub,” he said waiting by the door. Nora arched a blond eyebrow and walked over, bent over and gasped loudly. “I’ve been saving them for a few months now, I found one earlier today too. I guess now is a good time to give them to you.”

 

“Vault-tec shampoo.” She moaned holding it to her chest. “I thought I had found them all!” She pulled it away from her chest and put it back in the box gently, like a treasure. “Thank you,” she looked up at him as he approached.

 

Squatting down he cupped her face and kissed her. “I love you,” he smiled. “I’m actually pretty excited at getting to say this out loud now.” Nora smiled back and turned back to t he box.

 

“Me too,” she bit at her lip. “So, how difficult would it be to get a bath?”

 

-

-

-

 

While things weren’t the same as before, some things stayed the same.

 

People still survives and strived to improve. While they didn’t have clean rivers and lakes, the people learned how to filter it and produce purified water. While regular beef and poultry were gone, they had created some new cattle and learned how to cook the creatures of the wasteland.

 

While everyday was a battle family still had bonds and thrived. People still found love and fought for what was important.

 

Not everything was the same as before.

 

But some things never changed.


End file.
